Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many electric charging points for vehicles are available in service stations on UK motorways; and whether data is available on the numbers of each type of charging point.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government is aware of over 200 chargepoints available at service stations on UK Motorways. A list of the available chargepoints at Motorway Service Areas can be found on the Government’s National Charge Point Registry (http://www.national-charge-point-registry.uk/), which provides data on the numbers of each type of charge points where this information is made available by the chargepoint provider. As the market for plug in electric vehicles develops we have identified a need to potentially do more in this area.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support the proposal by the EU Committee of the Regions to establish locally determined contributions and regionally determined contributions to the greenhouse gas emissions targets set by the Paris Agreement on climate change.

lord prior of brampton: Under the Paris Agreement countries agreed to work to limit global temperature rises, it is then up to countries to plan how they will meet this. The EU and its Member State contribution to the Paris Agreement is a -40% reduction in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Individual Member State targets to deliver this overall commitment are currently being negotiated.UK greenhouse gas emission targets under the EU framework and our domestic Climate Change Act cover the whole of the UK. Devolved Administrations and Local Authorities also already have their own emissions targets and ambitions, and with wider actors in the UK, have an important role to play in contributing to UK emissions reductions.

Offshore Industry: Decommissioning

lord bruce of bennachie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans there are for reviewing the decommissioning policy for UK oil and gas installations at the end of their operating life.

lord prior of brampton: The policy for the decommissioning of UK Offshore oil and gas installations is based on the International Marine Organisation guidelines, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and ultimately OSPAR decision 98/3, which prohibits the dumping, and the leaving wholly or partly in place, of disused offshore installations within the maritime area. A derogation to leave installations or parts of installations in place can be agreed, if the installations were put in place prior to 1999 and the jacket is over 10,000 tonnes, or if it is a gravity-based concrete installation.We comply with our legal obligations and the policy is fully understood and well accepted by industry, NGOs, statutory nature conservation bodies and other users of the sea. We have no current plans to review this policy; however we are constantly updating our guidance to reflect what we and industry have learned from the removal of infrastructure already decommissioned.

Offshore Industry

lord bruce of bennachie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are proposed to stimulate new exploration and appraisal drilling on the UK Continental Shelf.

lord prior of brampton: In addition to establishing the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), over the last two years the Government has introduced a package of measures for the oil and gas industry worth £2.3bn. This included £40 million of funding for new seismic surveys to stimulate exploration and investment in existing and frontier areas in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), and funding for the Oil and Gas Technology Centre to serve as a global centre for solving the challenges of mature basins and maximising economic recovery of the UKCS. In addition, the OGA has awarded over £450,000 in an industry competition to improve the geological understanding of specific areas of the UKCS, taken forward two recent offshore licensing rounds, and introduced a new “Innovate Licence” to give operators greater flexibility around their work programme.

National Grid

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Connection and Use of System Code panel, and its modification and voting process, on (1) competition, and (2) consumer costs.

lord prior of brampton: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), as part of its investigation into the energy market, considered the governance of energy industry codes, which included the Connection and Use of System Code (CUSC) panel. They found that current arrangements for code governance had an adverse effect on competition. The complexity of codes can act as a barrier to new entrants and the implementation of pro-competitive change can be difficult. The CMA made a number of recommendations to Government and to Ofgem to address these issues; the Government is considering these recommendations and will respond in due course.

British Home Stores: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the report of the Insolvency Service investigation into the failure of BHS.

lord prior of brampton: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my noble Friend Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 15 June 2016 to Question UIN HL486.

Estate Agents

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will institute a review of the practice of estate agents requiring pre-contract deposits in the process of purchasing homes.

lord prior of brampton: The Government has no plans to review the practices of estate agents. The conduct of estate agents is governed by legislation – Estate Agents Act 1979 - which sets out the duties estate agents owe to clients and third parties. Under the Act all estate agents in the UK engaged in residential estate agency work are required to join an approved redress scheme so that consumers can seek free and independent redress from an approved body.Estate agents who are members of The Property Ombudsmen (TPO) are required to comply with the TPO’s Code. The Code sets out requirements in relation to pre-contract deposits. Breach of the Code could result in removal from the redress scheme – this will effectively prevent them from operating as an estate agent.Estate Agents are also required to comply with other consumer legislation to prevent or prohibit unfair practices in their dealings with consumers.

Carbon Emissions

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are (1) the amounts of CO2 produced, and (2) the targets adopted to reduce carbon emissions, by (a) the UK, (b) India, (c) China, and (d) the USA.

lord prior of brampton: The UK’s emissions in 2015 were 496 MtCO2e. This is 38% lower than 1990 and 4% below those in 2014. Carbon dioxide (CO2) accounted for 81% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2015 (404MtCO2) (BEIS Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statistics). Countries submit Biennial Update Reports to the UNFCCC on their emissions. According to their most recent reports, emissions were as follows: India - in 2010 India's net greenhouse gas emissions were 1900 MtCO2e, of which CO2 emissions accounted for 1600 MtCO2.China - in 2012 China's net greenhouse gas emissions were 11300 MtCO2e, of which CO2 emissions accounted for 9800 MtCO2.The USA - in 2013 the USA's net greenhouse gas emissions were 5800 MtCO2e, of which CO2 emissions accounted for 5500 MtCO2. Under the Climate Change Act, the UK has a legally binding 2050 target to reduce emissions by at least 80% on 1990 levels. The Fifth Carbon Budget (covering 2028-32) was passed into law on 21 July 2016. This budget is set in line with the recommendation of our independent advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, at 1,725 MtCO2e, equivalent to a 57% reduction on 1990 levels. As set out in the Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement the targets for India, China and the USA are as follows: India has committed to reducing the carbon intensity of GDP by 33-35% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.China has committed to reducing the carbon intensity of GDP by 60-65% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.The USA has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% by 2025, compared to 2005 levels. The US Mid Century Strategy for Deep Decarbonisation envisages emissions reductions of 80% by 2050, compared to 2005 levels.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

France: Foreign Relations

lord stevens of ludgate: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 24 January (HL4702), what contacts the British Embassy in Paris has had with presidential candidates; and for what reasons.

baroness anelay of st johns: ​The British Embassy in Paris has regular contact with a wide range of French politicians, including many of the Presidential candidates, in order to promote British interests.

Ministry of Defence

NATO

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total number of troops and units which the UK, USA and Canada have stationed in other NATO countries in Europe.

earl howe: The most recent figures for UK military personnel based in European NATO countries can be found in the document entitled 'Quarterly location statistics: 1 October 2016', which can be found on the gov.uk website at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/location-of-uk-regular-service-and-civilian-personnel-quarterly-statistics-2016The following units are based in Germany: HQ British Forces Germany; HQ 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade; The Queen's Royal Hussars; 26 Regiment Royal Artillery; 35 Engineer Regiment; 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment; 1 Medical Regiment; 3rd Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; Theatre Fleet Support Unit (Germany).The UK does not hold information on the personnel and units of the US and Canada based in European NATO countries.



HL5191 - Quarterly Location Statistics
(Excel SpreadSheet, 28.99 KB)

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the deliveries of the nine P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft are on schedule; and when they will be delivered.

earl howe: The Ministry of Defence is procuring nine P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft via a Foreign Military Sale arrangement from the US Government. Under the agreed schedule, the first UK aircraft is due to be delivered in 2019, and the final one is expected in 2021.

RAF Lossiemouth

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the infrastructure work at RAF Lossiemouth will be completed in time to enable the base to be used by the P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

earl howe: The P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft can already operate from RAF Lossiemouth on a temporary basis, as has been demonstrated on various occasions by aircraft operated by the US Navy. RAF Lossiemouth has been designated as the Main Operating Base for the RAF P-8A Poseidon fleet and the aircraft is expected to begin operating from there in 2020. As part of the preparations for this, plans are being finalised to build the support and training infrastructure to create a well-established and permanent base as the home for the UK P-8A fleet.

HMS Queen Elizabeth

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 31 January (HL4999), whether "summer" is defined as (1) from the summer solstice to the September equinox, or (2) June to August.

earl howe: HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH is currently undertaking harbour trials as part of her test and integration phase. Sea trials will begin only on successful completion of this phase."Summer" was not defined in the answer to Question HL4999. Rather, the word was used to provide a broad indication of the likely timetable.

Defence: Expenditure

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to propose to NATO that NATO members which do not spend two per cent of their GDP on defence should not receive help or protection under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, the principle of collective defence.

earl howe: The UK plays a leading role in the NATO Alliance, which is one of the cornerstones of UK defence. NATO's strength lies in the clear message Article 5 sends that an attack against one Ally shall be considered an attack against all. The UK and all NATO Allies are committed to upholding Article 5 and any suggestion that we would not help protect our Allies weakens the Alliance.All Allies agreed to meet the Defence Investment Pledge at the Wales Summit in 2014, and since then defence investment across the Alliance has increased in real terms. The UK regularly encourages all Allies to meet the commitment made to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence by 2024, because defence investment is how the Alliance will continue to have the military capabilities needed to tackle the full range of threats that it faces...

Military Aircraft

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will paint the RAF Voyager which conveys Her Majesty the Queen and the Prime Minister in distinctive colours which clearly indicate that it is British rather than RAF sky camouflage grey.

earl howe: There are no plans to repaint the Voyager aircraft, as its primary role remains the provision of military air-to-air refuelling capability.

Russia: Electronic Warfare

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reported remarks of the Secretary of State for Defence on 3 February that Russia had carried out a sustained campaign of cyber attacks against the UK, whether they will publish the evidence supporting that statement; whether they have made formal representations to the government of Russia with a view to ending any such campaign; and if so, with what result.

earl howe: In his speech of 2 February 2017 the Secretary of State for Defence (Sir Michael Fallon) spoke about widely reported examples of Russian cyber activity against countries around the world. He acknowledged that the United Kingdom (UK), along with its Allies, is strengthening its capability to resist any form of attack.The UK will attribute specific cyber incidents privately or publicly when we judge it in the national interest to do so. We currently consider public attribution on a case by case basis.

Sierra Leone: Joint Exercises

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conclusions they have drawn from the recent joint exercise carried out by British Army personnel and their Sierra Leone counterparts.

earl howe: Exercise GUMA SUN, conducted from November to December 2016, was a positive experience for the Queen's Royal Dragoon Guards and the Reconnaissance Unit of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. The exercise developed further understanding of joint activity and military planning in West Africa and of peace support operations. It also tested the capability of British soldiers to operate in a challenging and unfamiliar environment. Detailed lessons will be captured, analysed and then fed into Army planning and capability development.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the 54 Watchkeeper reconnaissance drones ordered by the Ministry of Defence in 2005 have yet entered service; and if not, why not.

earl howe: Watchkeeper is in service with the British Army, first deploying on operations to Afghanistan in 2014.We do not routinely comment on the specific status of equipment as to do so would compromise operational security and would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

HM Treasury

Wines: Imports

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many imported bottles of wine were sampled in each of the last five years, in order to check for fraud and forgery, broken down by samples from (1) EU member states, and (2) the rest of the world.

baroness neville-rolfe: The information requested is not held. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is responsible for protecting the Exchequer from alcohol duty fraud. The majority of this fraud in the UK relates to the diversion of genuine products, without payment of duty. HMRC has a published strategy for dealing with alcohol fraud. This is risk-based and sampling does not form part of this approach.

Multinational Companies: Taxation

lord harries of pentregarth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 18 January (HL Deb, col 212), and in the light of paragraph 17(7) of Schedule 19 to the Finance Act 2016 which provides for the Treasury to make regulations requiring group tax strategies to include a country-by-country report, what steps they are taking to ensure that transnational companies are fully transparent about the real centres of their economic activity and reveal any misalignment between that and where such companies declare their profits for tax purposes in their annual accounts.

baroness neville-rolfe: The Government believes that profits should be taxed where economic activities are performed. The UK has introduced the OECD model of country-by-country reporting. This will provide a clear overall picture of the global position on profit and tax of multinational groups to tax authorities, enabling them to make more informed assessments of where risks lie. The Government has set out its objective for a comprehensive and effective model of public country-by-country reporting that is agreed on a multilateral basis, to improve transparency over businesses’ tax affairs and build public trust in the tax system. The UK will continue to work with international partners with a view to delivering on that objective. This includes our continued participation in the discussions on the European Commission’s proposal.

Cabinet Office

Absent Voting

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Young of Cookham on 9 January (HLWS400) concerning the Government response to Securing the ballot, what is their definition of "postal vote harvesting"

lord young of cookham: The handling of completed postal ballot packs by campaigners is unacceptable. The Electoral Commission already strongly advises against the practice, and as part of the wider reform package outlined in our response to Sir Eric’s review, the Government is considering how a ban on this activity could be implemented.

Department of Health

Health Professions: Training

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reduction in the number of applications by students in England for nursing and midwifery courses at British universities beginning in 2017 compared to courses beginning in 2016 reported by UCAS; and whether, in the light of the smaller reduction in such applications in Scotland and Wales where bursaries are available, they intend to reconsider the decision to abolish NHS bursaries.

lord o'shaughnessy: At this stage of the application cycle, based on the data the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service published on 2 February, Health Education England is confident that the National Health Service will be able to fill the number of nursing and midwifery places in England.The intention of the reforms in England is to boost participation and secure the future supply of home-grown nurses to the NHS. They will also enable universities to create additional nursing, midwifery and allied health professional university training places in this Parliament.Students will see an increase in the amount of living cost support they have in hand when studying. We can build on the success of the wider higher education system and support students from all backgrounds pursue their chosen health career, as well as amending access rules for those who already have a degree. More widely, we are focusing on the needs of the profession by continuing to develop options which allow a number of routes into the workforce.